Genesis Chapter 9
Mmmm steak – now we are allowed to eat more than vegetables, rabbit
food and lentils!
At this stage God seems to impose the death penalty for
people who kill.
While I agree that life is sacred and is given as a gift by
the almighty who will demand an accounting for every life taken. I’m also of
the opinion that we cannot give life back once somebody is properly dead
therefore we should be careful if we intend to do the same in the name of
justice – blood is still spilled and an accounting is still required, only now
from executioner as well as murderer.
The other thing in this chapter is a startling fact about
the rainbow – the rainbow is created when light is refracted by particles in
the atmosphere (like rain) If you move around the particles refracting the
light change, and the rainbow is different.
This means that every person sees a rainbow that is unique
to him or her – it is a reminder to God, yes but just as much a reminder to YOU
personally that God has not forgotten even you. I think that it pretty amazing!
The rest of the chapter is a bit odd – Noah plants a
vineyard and makes some wine. So far so good, but he has then the first example
of binge drinking. Indeed, Noah is the first recorded drunk in the Good book.
He ends up unconscious and stark naked when his son, Ham, spots him and tells his brothers that old dad has been on the old vino. At which point Shem and Japheth go and cover him up.
I guess that Noah has a hangover when he finally comes round, but I do wonder why he curses his
grandson, Canaan. What’s all that about?
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